1 in 2 Florida residents live in HOAs – how these private governments are reshaping the American Dream

A sociologist who interviewed 47 residents of a central Florida HOA between 2017 and 2020, all identifying as Latino, Caribbean, or Black, found residents describing a sense that the association's rules pushed them toward the exits even as rising housing costs kept them from leaving. Nearly half of Florida residents live under an HOA, the highest share of any state, and 80% of new single-family subdivisions nationwide are HOA-governed.

The HOA in question barred proxy voting and renters from attending meetings entirely, requiring every vote to happen in person on a Tuesday, a scheduling choice residents said made participation practically inaccessible. Nationally, HOAs can foreclose on homes over unpaid dues, and a 2024 survey found fewer than half of residents under HOA rule believe their neighborhood is better for it, with one in ten having considered selling over HOA disputes.

There are roughly 373,000 HOAs in the U.S. affecting more than 78 million people, with no consistent state-by-state rules on how board members are elected or whether they must live in the community they govern. Florida HOA dues run a median $230 monthly, with some exceeding $500, a cost researchers say functions as a barrier to entry that tracks along racial lines.

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